Mr Werner Myburgh, CEO of Peace Parks FoundationAll over the world, we are witnessing the disappearance of nature as a result of human population growth, rampant development and destruction of ecosystems. Biodiversity loss is now lining up to be one of the greatest man-made crises ever.

By creating and conserving large core conservation areas and corridors to re-establish links between these areas, and by protecting keystone species to maintain these systems, the global trend of mass species die-off and loss of functional ecosystems can definitely be stopped. These very same systems are providing food, energy, medicines, clean water and air to all life on earth.

In Africa, with the highest population growth globally, insufficient resources are allocated towards conserving ecosystems. And this is the reason for Peace Parks Foundation’s existence: to maintain biodiversity by developing a large-scale conservation approach that promotes the co-existence of people and nature.

After nearly 20 years of pursuing this vision, we take stock of what has been achieved to date and the challenges that lie ahead.

TWO DECADES OF CONSERVATION

Donations Mobilised
Over R5 billion ($400 million – estimated exchange rate) from
the donor community has been mobilised through the peace
parks concept since inception in 1997 to support conservation,
as well as commercial and community development. This is more than R30 million annually.

ProjectsOver 500 individual projects, ranging from community development to infrastructure development and anti-poaching, have been initiated and supported.

Postcode Lotteries: Counter-poaching
Thanks to the postcode lotteries, the foundation is making the largest contribution by an African NGO
to rhino anti-poaching efforts in South Africa and has, over the past three years, averaged an annual contribution
of more than R30 million to a multi-pronged approach, supporting projects ranging from law
enforcement and demand reduction to community development. With most efforts supporting Kruger
National Park, home to over 30% of the world’s rhino, we are pleased to note that the number of rhino
killed over the past two years has stabilised. Although the battle is not yet won, there is hope.

2016 HIGHLIGHTS

Notable highlights on the TFCA front during the year in
review include the following:

The Desert Kayak Trails were launched in the /Ai/Ais-
Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, enabling visitors to
camp on both sides of the international boundary to
explore the unique desert environment while meandering
down the Orange River.

The first elephants were translocated to Zinave National
Park, an integral component of the Great Limpopo
TFCA, where the foundation has entered into a longterm
co-management agreement with the government
of Mozambique.

The Hlawula Vutomi (Choose Life) Youth Awareness and
Development campaign was launched in partnership
with the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, reaching
over 1 500 youth in four communities who live on the
border of the Great Limpopo TFCA in Mozambique.

A Population, Health and Environment Programme
was launched in southern Mozambique adjacent to
the Maputo Special Reserve and Ponta do Ouro Partial
Marine Reserve, with support from Blue Ventures.

Altogether, 88 women were trained in hospitality and
16 men in tracking at the SA College for Tourism – with
a superb record of 92% of graduates employed in the
industry.

Forty-eight students attained Higher and Advanced
Certificates in Nature Conservation and TFCA Management
and 951 students completed a variety of short
courses and learnerships at the Southern African Wildlife
College.

A New Technologies programme was launched to
enable the foundation to increase the impact of conservation
and development projects.

Various projects to combat wildlife crime were also supported, that included the following:

My Hero
The Vietnam, be my hero campaign
directly engaged with 14 000 children in
the private schools of Ho Chi Minh City.
The campaign is run in partnership with
Wilderness Foundation and Thanh Bui.

TRAFFICThe foundation supported TRAFFIC with the Chi
campaign. More than 10 000 business-
people
across 45 Vietnamese cities and provinces were
equipped with the tools and methods to adopt
corporate social responsibility policies that
incorporate wildlife protection.

Meerkat
The Postcode Meerkat Wide Area
Radar Surveillance System was
launched in Kruger National Park in
an effort to further curb poaching.
Within the first month of full operation,
12 poaching gangs were disrupted.

Increase in arrestsA pleasing development this year has been the
63% increase in arrests of crime syndicate members
outside protected areas, i.e. those at a more
senior level than the poachers entering the parks,
including recruiters, couriers and buyers.

Furs for LifeThe foundation and Panthera partnered to produce fabric leopard skins through the
generosity of Cartier. At the end of 2016, a total of 15 390 skins had been produced
and delivered to communities. Considering that the total estimated population of
leopard in South Africa stands at a mere 4 500 to 5 000, this project is making a significant
contribution to the survival of leopard in the wild.

THE CHALLENGES AHEAD

Exponential growth of wildlife crime
throughout Africa
With over 25 000 elephant and over 1 000 rhino lost to poaching
every year for the past three years, the challenge is overwhelming
and the onslaught relentless. The foundation’s Combatting
Wildlife Crime programme has had some success, especially in
applying new technologies, focusing on disrupting poaching syndicates
and wildlife-trafficking networks, and supporting demand
management campaigns in Vietnam and, more recently, China.

Human population growthPopulation growth leads to the fragmentation of habitats and
local extinction of key species within ecosystems as a result of
over-utilisation and remains a significant challenge. Proper planning
to optimise land use and empowering people through
improved governance to own and manage their own resources
are critical interventions to break this cycle. The Simalaha Community
Conservancy in Zambia is a prime example of where this
has been achieved successfully.Vulnerable communitiesCommunities in and around the peace
parks are vulnerable to the realities
of climate change (both flooding and
droughts). Recent successes achieved
by the foundation with conservation
agriculture justify replication, as the
impacts are apparent within a relatively
short timeframe and the solution
brings about long-term and sustainable
change.

Access to cheap and sustainable energy sourcesPeople in rural and remote environments currently spend disproportionately
high amounts of time and money to obtain fuel for
heating and cooking. The lack of access to better and alternative
sources of energy leads to severe pressure on forests, which currently
supply over 80% of all energy needs in rural environments.
The export of charcoal to cities and illegal logging are also drivers
of significant deforestation. Providing renewable or energy-efficient
alternatives are key interventions on the foundation’s priority list.